


Pizza Platters

by LandlessBud



Series: Soccer Dad AU [1]
Category: Newsies (1992), Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: based on a play i wrote, five ocs, jack and david are single dads, soccer dads au, they're the kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-07
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-28 22:15:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11427288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LandlessBud/pseuds/LandlessBud
Summary: Jack and David, two single soccer dads, discuss parenting methods and childhood success.





	Pizza Platters

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pouncival](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pouncival/gifts), [Ivypuppy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ivypuppy/gifts), [jesss](https://archiveofourown.org/users/jesss/gifts), [davey_gaycobs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/davey_gaycobs/gifts), [timetogoslumming](https://archiveofourown.org/users/timetogoslumming/gifts), [whathashappenedhere](https://archiveofourown.org/users/whathashappenedhere/gifts), [averywrites](https://archiveofourown.org/users/averywrites/gifts), [Pellaroby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pellaroby/gifts), [Bugaboo253](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bugaboo253/gifts).



> Surprise! I'm back. This is (unsurprisingly) based on another short play I wrote. I may expand this into a series if anyone wants me to.

            ”Alright, boys, why don’t you run along and go play on the play structure now?” David said, gently shoving his son, Billy, out of the booth and towards the play area of the grimy pizza parlor. His friend Steven got up to follow him. Once they were out of earshot, he breathed a sigh of relief and leaned back in the rather crusty booth.

            Jack leaned across the table. “I can’t believe soccer season’s already over! Billy played so well this year,” he exclaimed, narrowly avoiding a collision with the half-eaten pizza on the table.

            “He was nothing compared to Steven. How many goals did he score, again?” David replied.

            “48! Not his best, but he did well enough.” Jack pulled a small notebook out of his wallet and started flipping through it. “See? He scored 52 during spring season last year!”

            “I’m sure Billy stopped nearly that many as a goalie. Steven’s gotten so many good opportunities,” David answered, trying to compete a little.

            “I wish he’d work harder,” Jack sighed.

            David got nervous at this statement. “That’s a lot of pressure for a ten-year-old…”

            “Steven’s doing fine. He knows there’s room for improvement,” Jack casually responded, closing up the small notebook and tucking his wallet away.

            David tried to divert the conversation before his parenting methods came into question. “What about your other kids? Are they doing as well in their sports?”

            “Cammie got pointe shoes last week, Johnny is batting a .194 in tee ball, and Abby is top of her class in kiddie gymnastics,” Jack recited.

            David was a little worried about how easily that slipped out of Jack’s mouth, but he tried not to show it. “That’s wonderful! I’m wondering, though… isn’t that a little much?”

            “Easy for you to say. You only have to deal with shepherding one child around every day,” Jack fired back, ready to defend his children’s honor.

            “That doesn’t mean it’s not difficult!” David retorted. “I’m so new to all of this. I blink, and suddenly Billy’s gone somewhere else I need to find him!”

            Jack grabbed a slice of pizza off the tray on the center of the table and began to chew it angrily.

            “Jack. I know you’re dealing with a lot right now. Please, can you—” David began.

            Jack swallowed his pizza loudly.

            David tried to continue. “Calm down. How hard would it be for you to let them be kids? They need to—”

            Jack frantically grabbed another slice of pizza and shoved it in his mouth.

            “Please! Would it be so hard for you to let them relax and try new things? They don’t have to be—” David attempted conversation a third time.

            Jack swallowed again, then snatched another piece of pizza. He began to chew it slightly slower than the previous slices.

            David was nearly in tears at this point. “They don’t have to be perfect at everything! Kids are supposed to be the furthest from perfect you can get, and you have to acknowledge that!” he cried.

            Jack swallowed, then glared at David. “How would you know? Your kid is a worthless idiot compared to mine!”  
            David took extreme offense at this statement. “Billy is wonderful, thank you. He knows that he can come to me for help and I will support him. I am always there for him—”

            “My children strive to be the best at what they do,” Jack interrupted. “Steven’s looking at the US National Team in the future. Cammie will be a professional ballerina. Billy? He’s looking at a cubicle for the rest of his life if you don’t get him to shape up!”

            David angrily grabbed the last slice of pizza and took a large bite.

            “Billy’s life will be so boring because you haven’t figured out what he’s good at yet!” Jack lectured. “If you want him to have a good job, you’ll do exactly what I’m doing!”

            David stood up and slammed his hands on the table. “Billy is still learning. He should choose what he’ll be!”

            “David, don’t make me do this,” Jack warned.

            David ignored Jack’s warning and continued. “Billy is an individual. He doesn’t need to be shaped. He will shape himself!”

            Jack stood up. “David! You have to set him on the right track! Otherwise he’s doomed for failure!”

            “Leave him be!” David shouted. “He’s ten! He hasn’t experienced much life yet!”

            Jack gave David a condescending smile. “Then he’s going to end up in your basement for life. He won’t be able to have a career if you don’t get him started now!”

            Jack picked up the pizza platter and raised it over his head, white with fury.

            David cowered on the other side of the table. “Put down the pizza platter, Jack,” he coaxed.

            Jack, with a crazed look in his eyes, clutched onto the platter like it was a life raft in response. “You don’t know anything. You have one child. I have four. FOUR!!” he exclaimed.

            David approached Jack like he would a wild animal. “And they all love you very much, I’m sure of it,” he responded calmly.

            “Really? You really think so?” Jack answered, becoming more and more furious as he continued. “Last week, Cammie interrupted me at the dinner table. She’s 12 years old and should know better than that!”

            David sighed and sat down, pinching the bridge of his nose. “They’re children, Jack.”

            “Children that I raised! What kind of impression do you think people have of me when my child misses a fucking goal?” Jack shouted, making a scene.

            David was panicking a little, but he knew he needed to keep his cool. “Sometimes things like that happen. It’s not the end of the world. Steven will learn from his mistakes and get better.”

            Jack broke down, slumping in his seat and dropping the pizza platter. It made a loud _clang!_ as it hit the table. “But what if he doesn’t? What then?”

            “Children always do,” David replied with a gentle smile, no longer fearing death by pizza platter. “You’ll figure something out.”

            Jack flopped onto the table with his head in his hands, tears starting to stream down his face. “I’m so afraid they won’t amount to anything. I was supposed to be a professional gymnast, but everything went downhill when I turned 13.”

            David awkwardly patted Jack’s back. “It’s all right. You’re still here today, doing what you want to, right?”

            “In a way. The kids seem to be happy,” Jack sighed.

            “Aren’t you? They could do wonderful things,” David complimented.

            Jack picked up his head, his eyes lighting up. “As long as I keep pushing them to be better.”

            David shook his head. “Relax! Give it a rest. Live a little!”  
            Jack pushed himself up from the booth, then brushed himself off as he stood. “I need to keep going. I need to do everything in the house!” he panicked.

            David stood up and grabbed Jack’s shoulders. “Jack. It’s okay. Tell me what’s going on.”

            Jack collapsed back in the booth. “I just don’t know if I can do this anymore,” he sobbed. “It’s so much work.”

            David thought for a moment. “Why don’t you get some extra help around the house? Like a nanny!”

            “I can’t afford a nanny!” Jack whined. “I just need to work harder.”

            “No, no, no,” David replied, gently pushing Jack down into his seat. “Listen, how about I help you out? I can at least look after the younger ones like Steven and little Abby. They’re always welcome in my house.”

            Jack grasped for words. “No, I couldn’t do that.”

            “I insist!” David nearly shouted. He didn’t want to make a scene. “Every Monday and Thursday I’ll take care of them after school to give you a break, okay? And I’m always here if you need any more help.”

            Jack conceded to this, collapsing in the booth as Steven and Billy raced back to their dads.


End file.
